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What is in this book?

Before you start Page 3

Hard words Page 4

About Work and Income Page 5

Complaints about Work and

Income the Ombudsman

cannot look into Page 9

Complaints about Work and

Income the Ombudsman

can look into Page 13

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What you need to do before

you contact the Ombudsman Page 15

How do you make a complaint

to the Ombudsman? Page 18

List of hard words Page 22

Other Ombudsman

fact sheets Page 30

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Before you start

This is a long document.

While it is written in Easy Read it can be

hard for some people to read a document

this long.

Some things you can do to make it easier

are:

read it a few pages at a time

have someone to assist you to

understand it.

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Hard words

There are some words and names of

groups in this book that may be hard to

understand.

These words are in large print.

Go to the List of hard words on

page 22 if you want to know what the

words mean.

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About Work and Income

Work and Income is a government agency.

Government agencies report to the

Government.

Work and Income is part of the Ministry of Social Development.

The Ministry of Social Development is a

government department.

Work and Income can do things like:

help people who are looking for work

find a job

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help employers find the right people to

work at their workplace

pay people who do not have a job a

benefit to help them when they are

out of work

help families when they do not have

enough money to live on

pay money to people who are 65

years or older

sort out money for students to help

them live when they are doing study.

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The Ombudsmen Act (OA) tells the

Ombudsman what complaints we can

deal with.

The Ombudsman can look into

complaints about Work and Income

when it is about:

administrative conduct – how

Work and Income is run

getting official information from

Work and Income.

This fact sheet only tells you about

complaints about how Work and Income

is run.

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For information about complaints to do

with getting official information read our

booklet called:

Making or complaining about requests for Official Information.

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Complaints about Work and Income the Ombudsman cannot look into

There are some complaints about Work

and Income that the Ombudsman

cannot look into.

We cannot look into complaints about:

1. Grants

2. Money you get from Work and Income

3. Advances

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4. If Work and Income give you too much money

If Work and Income give you too

much money they will make a plan so

you can pay the money back to them.

We cannot look into these things

because you can have the Benefit Review Committee look at your

complaint again.

If you are unhappy with what the Benefit

Review Committee says you can tell the

Social Security Appeal Authority about your Work and

Income problem.

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If you get a Supported Living Payment and you are unhappy with

what Work and Income is doing you can

talk to the Medical Appeal Board.

If you have a problem with your

Student Allowance you can get

Work and Income to look at it again.

If you are unhappy with the decision that

Work and Income makes you can

contact the Student Allowance Authority to help you.

Information about how to contact these

groups will be in the letter Work and

Income sends you about their decision.

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The Ombudsman cannot normally look

into a complaint about Work and Income

if a court or tribunal can look into the

problem.

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Complaints about Work and Income the Ombudsman can look into

The Ombudsman can look into

complaints about Work and Income

when it is:

not about the benefit you get

about the way Work and Income is

run by people who work there

about bad service by your Work

and Income Case Manager

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The Ombudsman can also look into

complaints about Work and Income

when they are taking too long to:

get back to you when you have

sent them a letter or email

make a time for you to visit your

Work and Income office

get back to you about an

application for a:

- benefit

- advance

- allowance

- review.

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What you need to do before youcontact the Ombudsman

You need to do some things first before

you contact us.

If you do not do these things we may

decide we cannot look into your

complaint.

You need to try to sort out your problem

with Work and Income first.

If you cannot sort out your problem you

can contact the Ombudsman to find out

if we can help you.

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You can find out about the Work and

Income complaints process on their website:

www.workandincome.govt.nz

You can make a complaint by:

talking to the Manager at the Work

and Income office that is near you

Calling Work and Income:0800 559 009

using the online complaint form:

www.workandincome.govt.nz

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writing a letter:The Chief Executive

Ministry of Social Development

PO Box 1556

Wellington

If you cannot sort out your problem by

doing these things then you can contact

the Ombudsman.

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How do you make a complaintto the Ombudsman?

If you have not been able to sort out

your problem with Work and Income you

can contact the Ombudsman.

We will look at your complaint to see if

we can help you.

When you make a complaint to the

Ombudsman make sure you:

tell us what Work and Income did to

worry you

tell us why you think Work and Income has not done the right thing

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tell us how you would like your

problem sorted out

tell us the things you have done to try

and sort out your problem

give us copies of documents, letters and information you have about your complaint.

You can make a complaint to the

Ombudsman by:

calling us:

Free Phone: 0800 802 602

using our online complaint form:

www.ombudsman.parliament.nz

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emailing us:

info@ombudsman.parliament.nz

writing us a letter and posting it to:

The Office of the Ombudsman

P.O. Box 10152

Wellington 6143

faxing us:Fax: 04 471 22 54

Our offices are open:8:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Call to make a time if you need to come

and see us.

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There is an Ombudsman office in

Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch:

WellingtonLevel 7, 70 The Terrace,

Wellington 6011

AucklandLevel 10, 55–65 Shortland Street,

Auckland 1010

ChristchurchLevel 2, 138 Victoria Street,

Christchurch 8013

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List of hard words

Administrative conductAdministration means the way a group

of people run an agency or organisation.

Conduct is the way people behave or do

things.

Administrative conduct is the way an

agency is run by people.

AdvanceAn advance is when Work and Income

gives you money to buy something you

need.

This money will normally have to be paid

back to Work and Income.

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AppealAn appeal means to ask a court or

tribunal to look at a decision made by

Work and Income again.

The Court might say Work and Income

was:

right

wrong.

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ApplicationIf you make an application this means

you are asking for:

something

something to happen.

For example you might make an

application for a benefit because you do

not have a job.

BenefitA benefit is the money Work and Income

gives you to help you get the things you

need to live.

For example you might be able to get a

benefit if you do not have a job.

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Benefit Review CommitteeThe Benefit Review Committee is a

group of 3 people who will look at your

complaint again.

The people in the group work for the

Ministry for Social Development.

The group will meet with you to talk

about your problem.

They will tell you what they think can be

done about it.

GrantA grant is money Work and Income can

give you for something you need.

You do not always have to pay this

money back to Work and Income.

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Official informationOfficial information is the information a

government agency has.

You can ask to see this information if

you need to.

ResolutionResolution means to sort out a problem

in a way you are happy with.

ReviewA review means that something is

looked at again.

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Social Security Appeal AuthorityThe Social Security Appeal Authority

is a group made up of people that work

for the Ministry of Justice.

You can talk to the Social Security

Appeal Authority if you are not happy

with what the Benefit Review Committee

has said about your problem.

Student AllowanceThe Student Allowance is money a

student gets each week to help them live

while they study.

Students do not have to pay a student

allowance back.

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Student Allowance AuthorityThe Student Allowance Authority is a

group of people who look at complaints

about student allowances.

If you are unhappy with your student

allowance you can contact the Student

Allowance Authority.

Supported Living PaymentThe Supported Living Payment is money

given to help somebody if they cannot

work because they:

have a disability that stops them being

able to work

are very sick

have hurt themselves badly.

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TribunalA tribunal is like a court.

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Other Ombudsman fact sheets

We have made other fact sheets about

making complaints to other agencies.

They are all in Easy Read.

The other fact sheets are about making complaints about:

ACC (Accident Compensation

Corporation)

EQC (Earthquake Commission)

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Immigration New Zealand

Inland Revenue Department.

Oranga Tamariki – Ministry for Children

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This information has been translated into Easy Read by

People First New Zealand Inc.– Ngā Tāngata Tuatahi

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